At the last, the old man chuckled, though Aryanth was startled to see tears seeping down his cheeks. She chose the laughter. “Where do you find your humor?"

Though I wrote this in the young adult on which I am working some time ago, never before have I understood how very close laughter and tears can be.

I admitted to my boss this morning that my heart was grieving and but for the responsibilities owing, I would not have been at work.

For the first time, I thought of taking medicine at work. I have Zanax for infrequent occasions when my hormones spiral out of control during my cycle and my emotions overwhelm me. Pop one of those pills and discover distance. Distance and time enough for the hormone flux to pass. I've never taken it outside my home before...but I was tempted.

She agreed it might be best if I wanted to stay and that she would keep an eye out for me since it was the first time that I would be taking the pill without crawling under the covers for a nap or for the night.

But before I could leave her office to return to mine and bury myself in my work, she told me the funniest sad story. I laughed until I started coughing and wheezing. An act of kindness on her part.

At that moment, I chose the laughter.